The Big Trees (1952)

Plot Summary
In 1900, unscrupulous timber baron Jim Fallon plans to take advantage of a new law and make millions off California redwood. Much of the land he hopes to grab has been homesteaded by a Quaker colony, who try to persuade him to spare the giant sequoias...but these are the very trees he wants most. Expert at manipulating others, Fallon finds that other sharks are at his own heels, and forms an unlikely alliance.
Written by Rod Crawford

Trivia
According to Kirk Douglas in his autobiography "The Ragman's Son", he agreed to act in this film for free, in order to end his contract with Warner Bros. He later said, "It's a bad movie."

As of 2002, the rights to this film became public domain, and DVD copies that were "digitally remastered" began appearing in 99 Cent stores in LA area in 2004.

"Yukon" Burns is buried in a Quaker cemetery, which contains many graves built close to the trunks of big trees. How these graves could be dug to a reasonable depth with the huge roots they must have had is not explained.

It's never explained what route the Wisconsin loggers would have taken to arrive in Northern California by steamship in pre-Canal 1900.

The reading that Fallon does at the dinner is from Psalms 41, verse 1.

GoofsContinuity
In the beginning of the film, Jim Fallon appears in the window opening the divided curtain with both hands. Then the curtain on his right-hand side remains open while he holds the other part with his left hand. In the following shot from inside, the part on his right-hand side is closed.

In the saloon, Daisy dances around and returns to the stage with the help of two men who suspend her. Then we see a fat man standing on the stage corner, in front of a drink glass, clapping her. In the next shot he is drinking.

Errors in geography
Walter 'Yukon' Burns has come from the Yukon gold rush, supposedly in Alaska. But the Yukon Gold Rush occurred in Canada, not Alaska.

The Big Trees is a 1952 Western film starringKirk Douglas and directed by Felix E. Feist.
It was Kirk Douglas's final film for Warner Brothers,
a film he did for free in exchange for the studio agreeing
to release him from his long-term contract.

The film has fallen into the public domain. Douglas plays a greedy timber baron who seeks to exploit the Sequoia forest,
while facing the protest of the Quaker colonists.

Okay western tells the tale of Kirk Douglas as a would-be lumber baron with more charm than business savvy. Not as good as it could have been with a little sharper direction, but the dialog has some spark and Douglas shines like a new penny when he smiles.

He gets adequate support from the usual suspects, with Patrice Wymore particularly good as his dance hall prostitute girlfriend. Eve Miller as the real love interest is a bit flat by comparison, even granted that she's stuck in the role of a holy roller trying to protect California's giant redwoods.

The plot manages to get genuinely clever at times, with the local judge conspiring to help the Quakers foil Douglas's lumber scheme, Douglas scheming right back, and then the whole thing going topsy-turvy. Still, something is missing (and the faded print I saw didn't help) but the ending goes big to try to save it and nearly succeeds. Worth the time for fans of Douglas, but not a must-see title.

Best WishesKeithLondon- England

The post was edited 1 time, last by ethanedwards (Apr 5th 2017, 5:55am).